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Square Enix’s celebration of Final Fantasy’s 30th Anniversary is under way, and it has already given longtime fans several notable announcements, including the release date of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age and official art for the Final Fantasy VII remake. However, putting aside the obvious like finally getting a release date for Kingdom Hearts 3, there is still plenty more Final Fantasy fans would like to hear announced during the 30th Anniversary celebrations.
Some Love For the PC
The first announcement we would like to hear is an official release date for the PC version of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. Square Enix has already stated that Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age will release on the PlayStation 4 on July 11th, and sites such as PCGamer have confirmed that a PC version is in the works. Fans around the world would appreciate an update on the progress of the game’s PC port, especially because Square Enix has lately been silent regarding The Zodiac Age’s PC version. In fact, the director of Final Fantasy XV, Hajime Tabata, admitted that he would love to see a PC version of his game as well, so Square Enix announcing that it is working on a PC port of XV would also be something everyone would like.
The Return of Old Favorites
Another announcement that many fans want from Square Enix is the resurrection of old spin-off titles such as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. The first Crystal Chronicles released on the Nintendo Gamecube as a multiplayer-focused action RPG where players cooperate to defeat monsters and navigate inhospitable environments. The game received a lot of praise from critics and fans alike. Sadly, the game’s sequels, especially Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, never measured up to the first game. Crystal Chronicles was arguably at its best when it revolved around gameplay that could be tackled either alone or with friends, and given the video game industry’s focus on multiplayer lately, a new Crystal Chronicles game would sell very well.
A different old spin-off title revival Square Enix could announce is the Final Fantasy Tactics franchise. The Tactics franchise, as its name suggests, is a turn-based strategy RPG not unlike Fire Emblem. Each Tactics game has been critically praised, and even though the Tactics franchise hasn’t seen a new entry since 2008 (the short-lived iOS game notwithstanding), the legacy of Tactics has lived on. For example, Final Fantasy XII takes place in the world of Ivalice, the same world as the Tactics franchise. Games such as XCOM 2 and The Banner Saga show that strategy RPGs are alive and well, which in turn demonstrates that the game market is ripe for Square Enix to announce a new entry in the side series.
A Western Release for the Newest Dissidia
Sticking with the more obscure reaches of the Final Fantasy umbrella, in 2008 Square Enix released Dissidia Final Fantasy, a fast-paced fighting game that pits heroes and villains throughout the main series (specifically Final Fantasy I-XII) against one another. The game managed to give players explosive and flashy action sequences not unlike those found in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Dissidia re-released in 2011 with an updated roster of characters and again in 2015 for Japanese arcades. The first two Dissidia games sold reasonably well and were fairly well received, so Square Enix announcing an English version of the third game is a no-brainer.
Collaboration on Something New
The final announcement we’d love Square Enix to make during the 30th Anniversary is something that comes out of left field. Well no, not exactly, but the announcement would be something no fan would expect, even though it is likely something many have dreamed about: a Final Fantasy-themed Warriors game. Omega Force (the development team of the Dynasty Warriors franchise) has been a bit experimental as of late and has focused less on releasing new Dynasty Warriors games and more on games that take familiar characters from a beloved franchise and place them in a Dynasty Warriors-styled game.
Hyrule Warriors, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below, and Berserk and the Band of the Hawk are three examples of Koei Tecmo and Omega Force’s ability to successfully make a Warriors game out of almost any franchise. Furthermore, the Warriors genre is so popular that several non Omega Force-developed games ape the gameplay of the Warriors franchise, such as Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed and Senran Kagura: Estival Versus. Warriors and Warriors-like games clearly have a large fanbase, and given the near universal appeal of Final Fantasy, the fandom would likely welcome a Final Fantasy Warriors game with open arms.
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While these are the kinds of announcements many fans want from the 30th Anniversary, it’s by no means a complete list. There are plenty of welcome announcements that Square Enix could make during the anniversary celebrations. Perhaps the publisher could announce a fan-favorite character for Final Fantasy Brave Exvius or a sequel to World of Final Fantasy. Or maybe an announcement that The Black Mages will have a reunion tour that travels around the globe. Square Enix might even announce that it has signed a deal with Disney to create a series Final Fantasy-themed attractions and rides to rival Nintendo’s upcoming Universal Studios attractions. We can only hope.